Virginia groups rally against proposed Tysons casino ahead of 2026 legislation

Two community coalitions in northern Virginia have joined forces to oppose a renewed push to build a casino in Tysons, warning of economic, social and traffic risks as lawmakers prepare to revisit the issue in 2026.

The No Fairfax Casino Coalition and the Tysons Stakeholders Alliance co-hosted a webinar to mobilize residents in Fairfax County, where lawmakers have tried and failed three times since 2023 to advance casino legislation.

Paula Martino, president of the Tysons Stakeholders Alliance, said efforts to legalise a Tysons casino have repeatedly emerged in Richmond despite local opposition. “Senator Surovell has vowed to introduce casino legislation again in 2026. You might ask who is pushing for this? Well, it certainly isn’t the voters of Fairfax County,” she said.

Martino said previous attempts were led by state senators Dave Marsden and Scott Surovell. Bills were withdrawn or defeated in committees in 2023 and 2024. In 2025, a similar bill passed the Senate but failed in the House of Delegates. She said supervisors Walter Alcorn, Jimmy Bierman, Kathy Smith and Rodney Lusk oppose the project, crediting Lusk with helping block the bill last year.

Casino developer Comstock has backed the effort financially, donating $105,000 to Republican candidate Winsome Earle-Sears and $100,000 to Democrat Abigail Spanberger through a political action committee and its CEO. Neither candidate has publicly taken a position on the issue.

Martino said a survey commissioned by casino opponents found “widespread” opposition across the county, although Surovell has said polls he has seen show support.

Economic claims around the project drew scrutiny from speakers on the webinar. Surovell has said the casino could generate $1.2 billion in annual revenue and $232 million in state taxes. Andy Pavord, CEO of the Federal Consulting Alliance, said those figures were inflated and uncertain. “That’s a lot of money, and second, what will be the cost?” he said, calling the projections “a very risky bet.”

Pavord said the national casino market is stagnating due to saturation and competition from online gambling and sports betting. “This is not a growth industry,” he said, adding that few casinos outside Las Vegas or Atlantic City approach $1.2 billion in annual revenue. “The money spent in the casino is the money that is not spent in other businesses,” he said.

Speakers also warned that traffic, wages and public safety could be harmed. Sally Horn of the Greater Tysons Citizens Coalition said Tysons already ranks worst nationwide for congestion. She estimated a casino would attract 25,000 visitors a day and dismissed suggestions commuters would rely on the Metro. Calling that assumption “nonsense,” she said, “Most gamblers won’t take it … they won’t risk carrying cash or winnings on public transit.”

Horn said casinos are linked to higher crime rates. “There is a clear and well-documented correlation between increased public safety risks and casinos,” she said. She also cited concerns over human trafficking and problem gambling. “It is as addictive as opioid, cocaine, and heroin addiction and that’s true as well in Virginia. In Virginia, we have found that gambling addiction is a very serious problem, and it’s on the rise,” she said. 

Horn said casino and hospitality workers in the region typically earn under $30 an hour, below the local living wage. “The promise of permanent jobs paying a living wage in Fairfax County is basically inconsistent with the wages and salaries paid in the casino and hospitality industries already in our region,” she said.

The groups said they plan to lobby lawmakers directly when the General Assembly reconvenes next year. They have been invited to speak at a Joint Subcommittee meeting on October 20 in Richmond as legislators study the creation of a Virginia Gaming Commission.